Feeding means for washing machines



E. C. CHANDLER FEEDING MEANS FOR WASHING MACHINES 1mm Aug. 25, 19s?-FIG.- 2

INVENTOR EDWARD C. CHANDLER Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to means for feeding cleaning chemicals and thelike to dish washing and similar machines, the chemicals being suppliedto the feeding means in powder, crystalline or cake form and hot waterbeing fed to the feeding means at a predetermined rate in smallquantities and the feeding means delivering a solution of the chemicalin the water to the machine served.

This general type of apparatus is characterized by the disclosure in myPatent No. 2,034,796, issued March 24, 1936, and in my copendingapplication, Serial No. 127,107 filed February 23, 1937, Heating meansfor the chemical container and the reasons therefor appearing in thelatter case.

Some of the chemicals employed in such apparatus tend to cake anddeposit and encrust, particularly about openings and in passageways, andwhere heating means are employed conciensation occurs at relatively coollocations, providing difficulties which may greatly impair theefficiency of the apparatus or eventually render it inoperative.

The general objects of this invention are to overcome thesedifficulties, as will appear, and particularly by providing apparatus ofsimple construction without small openings or passageways and havingprovision for maintaining the provided openings and passageways clear ofo;- structions. Further detailed objects are to provide novel means ofrelating the chemical container and its heating means and for locatingthe discharge of the chemical solution into the washing machine,selectively dependent upon conditions of installation which vary greatlywith type and make of washing machine, location of the machine, etc.

With reference now to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, withparts broken away to show details of construction, illustrating anembod'ment of the invention with essential parts of a washing machine tobe served thereby; Fig. 2 is a detail in horizontal section as in theplane of line 2-2, Fig. 1, showing parts disposed within the washingmachine; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the parts appearing in Fig.2.

I With reference now to the drawing, A is the top wall of a dish washingmachine having a number of rinsing-spray nozzles a served from a hotwater rinse line B having a valve 1) for a rinsing control. The valve bis here shown as a hand operated one located outside the washing machinebut as will be understood by one familiar with the art, such valve mayhave automatic operation from suitable mechanism within the machine.

The apparatus of the present invention includes two principal units, aheating unit generally indicated at I and a container unit generallyindicated at 2, both units being here indicated as of cylindrical form.

The heater unit I has an electrical heating element conventionallyindicated at 3 centrally located within a casing 4 having feet 5 restingupon the top wall of the washing machine, a lateral receptacle 6 beingprovided on the casing for service 10 of the heating unit which maypreferably be subject to a thermostatic control not shown. The casing 4has its peripheral wall upwardly extending, as at Land encloses anannular recess 8 about the heating element 3,.the casing having upperand lower walls 9 and II] which enclose the heating element andbound therecess 8.

These walls are provided at peripherally spaced locations with aplurality of pairs of opposed openings 9', ID for a purpose which willappear.

The container unit 2 is formed to seat upon the heater unit I having abottom wall which rests upon the top wall 9 of the heater and aperipheral wall fitting within the upwardly extending wall part I of theheater. The container also has a top wall II partially overhanging itsbottom wall, with a closure I2 therefor. A sight drip feeding device I3such as appears in my Patent No. 2,034,796, is mounted on the top wall II and connected to a hot water supply line subject to an on-and-ofivalve l4. Preferably, and as here shown, the connection is to the rinsewater supply line B beyond its control valve b so that feed of hot waterto the container is not dependent upon feed of rinse water to thewashing machine.

Pipe means comprising a pipe- I5 and a nipple I6 are arranged betweenopposed upper and lower wall parts of the container adjacent thecontainer side wall and preferably opposite the feed valve I3 asindicated. The pipe means is open ended, extends below the container andpreferably above also, and is provided, within the container, with alarge lateral opening I'I very substantially below the top wall of thecontainer and preferably also with an auxiliary opening I'I' locatedsomewhat above the opening H. The nipple I6 is soldered or otherwisesealed within the container bottom, extends substantially therebelow andis externally threaded. The pipe I5 fits within the upper mouth of thenipple and is there secured, as by soldering.

The downwardly projecting part of the pipe means, that is the nipplepart, is disposed within a pair of openings 9, I0 in the heater unit,down machine and projects substantially therebelow into the washingmachine. The selected pair of openings in the heater unit is such asto/best relate the locations of'the pipe means, the inlet valve means l3and the receptacle 6, dependent upon the conditions of the installation.The container unit is secured to the heater unit by a nut l8 threadedonto the nipple"; of thickness corresponding to the projection of thefeet 5, and the heater unit is secured to the washing machine'by a nutl9 threadedonto the nipple and turned against the under side of thewashing machine top wall, the nipple extending below this nut. I

An open ended conveyor 20 which may be of the trough form indicated, isrigidly secured to a yoke 2| having a collar part 22 and a set screw 23is mounted on the projecting end of the nipple.

The relation between the yoke 2| and the conveyor 20 may be such thatthe latter has a slight slope, with its lower end disposed more remotelyfrom the nipple than its upper end. The collar 22 may be threaded uponthe nipple, I6 or may be secured thereto by the set screw 23 asindicated so that the lower, discharge end of the conveyor member isadjustable about the nipple dependent upon conditions of installation,the conveyor member always being disposed however above the rinsenozzles a.

Operation will be as follows: A quantity of the cleaning chemicals areplaced within the container by removal of its closure I 2, filling thecontainer not above the level of the opening I! in the pipe IS. Thevalve l4 being open and the valve l3 properly set to feed the properamount of hot water into the container, a solution of the cleaningchemical is had within the container as the water feed continues. Thissolution overflows through the opening I! into the pipe l5 dependentupon the rate of water delivered by the valve i3. This solution runsdownwardly through the nipple l6 and into the washing solution withinthe washing machine, being discharged at the end of the conveyor 20. Insome installations, where the nipple i6 is suitably located relative toparts within the washing machine, the conveyor 20 need not be employed.

After a few hours use of the feeding device a new batch ofchemicals willbe added to the container. The opening I1 in the pipe beingsubstantially below the top of the container there will be no overfloweven though a large quantity of chemical is suddenly added. The upperopening i1 serves as an auxiliary to the opening I1 for the addedoverflow into the pipe means when chemical is added to the container,and also will act should a stoppage occur at the opening I! as by apiece of paper or the like, as an overflow.

The pipe means and its openings l1 and H are easily maintained clear ofobstruction by occasionally running a brush downwardly through the openupper end of the pipe and thence downwardly through the nipple.Similarly, the conveyor member 20 being open at both ends is easilycleaned by a through stroke of the brush therebetween, below the nipple.The projection of the pipe above the top wall I I of the containerassists in locating its mouth for the cleaning operation. The lowermouth of the pipe l5 being within the nipple Hi, there is no projectionwithin the pipe means at the joint, for accumulation of through anopening in the top wall of the washing solidified chemical due tocondensation during inoperative periods of the apparatus.

It will be understood that the heater unit functions during operation tomaintain a substantially uniform solution within the container. Somechemicals employed require heat to remainin solution. Also, during longshut-down periods, as over night, there is a decided tendency with mostchemicals to solidify so that the heating element is employed after suchperiods, to liquefy the container contents before the apparatus is putinto operation. i

What I claim is:

1. Feeding means 01' the class described, comprising a container havingtop and bottom wall parts with opposed openings, open ended pipe meansarranged in said openings to inter-connect them and having a lateralopening within said container, the opening in said container top wallpart being at least as large as the inside diameter of said pipe means.

2. Feeding means of the class described, comprising a container havingtop and bottom wall parts with opposed openings, open ended pipe meansof generally uniform cross section ar-' ranged in said openings tointer-connect them and extending above said container top wall part andhaving a lateral opening within said container.

3. Feeding means of the class described, comprising cooperativecontainer and heater units, said heater being adapted for disposition ontop of a washing machine and said container to be mounted upon saidheater, said container having outlet pipe means located adjacent a sidewall part and' extending downwardly to project through an opening in thetop of said washing machine, said heater having anopening to receivesaid pipe means and be positioned thereby.

4. Feeding means ofthe class described, comprising cooperative containerand heater units, said heater being adapted for disposition on top of awashing machine and having a centrally located heating element, aplurality of vertical through openings peripherally spaced thereabout,and a lateral receptacle for connection to a power source, saidcontainer having outlet pipe means located adjacent a side wall part andextending downwardly and being adapted to be mounted upon said heaterwith said pipe means projecting through any of said heater openings,whereby said receptacle may have selective location relative to saidpipe means. I

5. Feeding means of the class described, comprising a container havingoutlet pipe means extending downwardly below its bottom, to projectthrough the top wall of a washing machine upon which said container ismounted, and conveyor means mounted upon said pipe means with slopingdisposition to receive the discharge therefrom and to discharge at alaterally removed location, said conveyor means having a through openingtransverse to said pipe means.

6. Feeding means of the class described, comprising a container havingtop and bottom wall parts with opposed openings, open ended pipe meansarranged in said openings to inter-connect them and extendingrespectively above and below saidcontainer top and bottom wall parts,said pipe means having a lateral opening within said co tainer.

EDWARD C. CHANDLER.

